Secrets Don't Make Friends
by yogurtberry
Summary: Serena has a successful career in LA, but a death in the family forces her to return to the UES to face her old friends. The secrets she thought she left behind will catch up to her soon. Lots of B/C but primarily N/S. Note: The rating may turn to M...not sure yet.
1. Chapter 1

__**Hey everyone! I haven't been on here for a while but I've gotten really good feedback on other stories I've written so here's another one. **

**Context: Serena lives in LA and in a marketing executive at a successful company. Chuck is running Bass Industries. Blair is a socialite/helps Chuck run his company. Nate is the youngest elected congressman.**

_..._

_Hey old friends,_

_Remember me? My deepest condolences go out to the Rhodes family. Celia was one classy lady. But you know what this means? S just got back in town for the funeral. Get ready. _

_xoxo_

_Gossip Girl_

Blair's mouth fell open. She can't even remember the last time gossip girl sent out a blast. Of course she knew that Serena would be at her own grandmother's funeral but she hadn't even thought about how their encounter would be. She quickly pulled out her cell phone.

"Hey Blair, what's up?"

"Serena is back." She heard the sound of Nate's breath halt.

Nate shook his head at himself. "How do you know that? She called you?"

Blair let out a sarcastic scoff. "I read about it on Gossip Girl."

Nate let out an empty laugh. "This should be interesting." He hangs up and walks into his office to see Chuck sitting at his desk chair. "Hi."

Chuck looks over at him. "Serena is back."

Nate motions for him to get up and Chuck rolls his eyes at him but moves out of his way. "So I hear."

"Oh. She called you too?"

Nate can't manage to stop himself from glaring at his best friend. "She called you?"

"I thought she called all of us…" He put a hand on Nate's shoulder.

"Well she didn't call me or Blair." Nate runs a hand through his hair. "I have a lot of work to do. I'll see you at the funeral."

…

3 DAYS BEFORE

Serena sat at her favorite coffee shop in LA and bit down on her pen cap lightly. She was supposed to come up with a sales pitch for a new product but she kept drawing up blanks. She looked at her watch. If she left now she could surprise her boyfriend Dean before he left to work.

She gathered up her notebook and laptop and shoved it in her bag then hopped into her car. She let her mind wander while she drove along the beach to get to Dean's condo.

She'd just managed to park when her phone buzzed. A text from her assistant telling her she'd emailed her an attachment containing more information about the product. She quickly texted a thanks back.

Serena let herself into the condo with her key. "Hey babe! You home?"

She heard the shower running and decided to take a look at the email. She rolled her eyes when she realized her computer was dead. She tossed it on the couch and walked over to the counter where Dean's laptop was.

She opened the browser and saw a Facebook page come up. Dean had a Facebook? She was about to exit the window when a message popped out on the screen.

_Dean: so hot_

_Samantha: so do u still have a girlfriend?_

_Dean: she's gone this weekend so you can come over and play again ;)_

Serena's mouth dropped open. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Dean smiling at her. His smile faded as soon as he saw her face. "What?"

Serena stood up angrily. "Who the hell is Samantha?"

He reached across from her and slammed his laptop shot. "Why were you going through my stuff?"

Serena shook her head and went to grab her bag. "It popped up! You're unbelievable."

"Whatever you saw it's out of context."

Serena let out a sarcastic scoff. "Can you please just be honest for one second? How long have you been cheating on me?"

He shook his head. "She's just some girl I was flirting with online. You've been gone the past 2 weekends and you're leaving again this weekend! I get bored and lonely."

"How dare you try to guilt me? I'm leaving this weekend because my grandmother died, you asshole!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll do anything to make it up to you. I'll delete my account right now."

Serena rolled her eyes. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she stormed out and stopped to turn back at him. "I obviously can't trust you. And I can't be in a relationship with someone who I don't trust."

"Baby, please. I love you so much. I'm begging you –"

"Stop. I just need some space, okay? I'll call you."

…

Blair rubbed her neck like she did every time she felt stressed out. She turned her head to see Nate approaching her. "Hi."

Nate gave her a small smile. "Nice dress."

Blair looked down at her black dress and smoothed it out on her lap. "Thanks. Where is Chuck?"

"He's meeting us there. He went to meet with Serena before the funeral."

"Why did she call him? I don't get it."

Nate shrugged. "Let's just go. It should be starting soon."

Serena slid out of the car and shielded her face from the paparazzi. She linked arms with Lily and let Eric and the security guards shuffle them to the church. Lily froze next to her and Serena stopped walking too. She looked out to the benches to see everyone else already seated and the wooden casket in the center of the aisle.

Serena gave her mom a kind smile. "We can do this. Together." She kept a tight grasp on her arm and led the way down the aisle and into the first row.

Serena wasn't really listening to what the priest was saying. She looked up when she felt Eric nudge her. The ceremony was over and close family was allowed to say one last goodbye before the casket closed. "Mom and I went already. You're the last one."

Serena stood up slowly. She pulled a letter she'd written her grandmother out of her purse and held it tight in her hand. She knew every single person was watching her and she took a deep breath before she walked to the altar.

…

Chuck greeted Serena with a quick kiss on the cheek and then gave Lily a big hug. "It's beautiful, Lily."

Lily smiled at him and looked around the room. They were hosting a memorial dinner for Cece and all the proceeds went to breast cancer research. "Thank you Charles. It was mostly Serena."

Chuck slipped a check in her hands. "It's wonderful. Serena, may I have this dance?"

Serena nodded and they made their way to the dance floor and he twirled her around before falling into step with the song. "I haven't talked to Blair or Nate."

"I know."

"I'm really happy for you and Blair. And Nate…he's New York's most eligible bachelor. Everyone seems to always talking about him."

Chuck gave her a smirk. "He hates all the attention but you know Nate, always so cool and collected. Speak of the devil."

Serena followed Chuck's gaze and saw Nate walking towards them. "May I cut in?"

Chuck nodded. "She's all yours."

Nate took her hand in his and started moving with the music. "Hi Serena."

Serena smiled at him. "It's so good to see you, congressman."

Nate rolled his eyes at her. "I'm sorry I didn't get to speak to you at the funeral. I just didn't know what to say. How are you holding up?"

Serena shrugged. "I'm fine. Cece was tired…it was time for her to go."

The song ended and Nate stopped dancing. He kissed her hand quickly. "I'm going to get us drinks."

…


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the reviews/following this story! I didn't really read through this one but hopefully there aren't many typos. Lemme know what you guys think! xo**

...

Serena stood bitterly as she watched Nate dance and laugh with different women.

He never danced more than two songs with one before moving on to the next.

Serena walked over to where he was dancing with a pretty blonde. "May I cut in?"

The girl glared at her and pulled away. Nate put an arm on her waist and took her other hand in his. "You didn't look like you were having fun."

He shrugged. "It's fine. They're all nice enough."

"Nate, I just wanted to say that…well I…" She closed her mouth and shook her head.

Nate couldn't help but smile. "Am I making you nervous?" He was slightly tipsy and he could feel the heat radiating from her body.

Serena didn't answer for a while. "Well you are a bit more intimidating than I remember. Everyone hangs on your every word. You're like Prince William but not balding."

Nate threw his head back in laughter. "They give me way more credit than I deserve." He spun her around and then pulled her closer. "All I can think about is how badly I want to tear that dress off you."

Serena's eyes widened. Had he really just said that? The Nate she remembered wasn't this forward. "Let's get out of here then." Had she really just said that? What a slut.

Nate's mouth fell open and shook his head slowly. "I leave for DC in an hour and I don't want a quickie. I want to give you the whole experience." He stopped moving but kept his lips close to her ear. "You won't be able to touch yourself without thinking of me." He pulled away and she saw the playful smile on his face. "I have to go."

Serena stood stunned as Nate walked away.

…

"He was confident and sexy and just…left me speechless." Serena heard her friend gasp in excitement on the other end.

"I googled him. He is so hot! Listen, you don't owe Dean anything! Just have fun out there."

"Yeah…I don't know. Nate and I have a complicated history. I'm not sure if he wants just a one-time thing. And he was drunk so maybe he doesn't want anything at all. I need to figure things out with Dean. I'm over thinking this."

"How long is Nate gone?"

"He should get back tonight. I have to go though I'm having lunch with Blair."

"Alright. Have fun! Miss you already!"

Serena smiled and hung up the phone.

…

_Spotted: S & B catching up over lunch. Actual tear came to my eyes when I saw them together. But we all know these two never play nice for long!_

_Xoxo _

_Gossip Girl_

Serena slid into the town car after Blair. "It was great seeing you again, B."

Blair smiled at her. "You too."

Serena cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I'm so bad at keeping in touch, I just –"

"I know you're busy."

"That shouldn't be an excuse. You're my best friend."

Blair smiled at her. "I'm sorry you came in town for such a bad circumstance but I'm really glad you're here. I've missed you."

"It's been too long. I wish you'd come visit me."

Blair nodded. "I wish you'd move back."

Serena gave her a grin. "I've actually been looking into transfers and there's a possibility I'll move back soon."

Blair's eyes widened. "Really? That'd be amazing! Just like old times, huh?" She squeezed her hand. "How's that boyfriend of yours?

Serena pulled her hand away. She'd been too embarrassed to tell anyone about Dean. "We're going through a rough patch right now. I'd rather not talk about it."

Blair nodded. "Fine. I have to go to work for a couple of hours but maybe we can all go out for a drink later, for old times sake."

Serena smiled. "I'd like that."

Blair turned to leave and then looked back at her. "Why did you leave so suddenly? You helped Nate win the election…you got him elected into Congress and then you left the same night."

Serena shook her head. "I don't know…I guess I just wanted to be my own person."

Blair didn't look convinced. "I'll call you later."

…

Serena pulled out her ringing phone and smiled when she saw it was Nate. She was so sick of seeing Dean's name pop up on the screen. "Hello?"

"Hi Serena…um, it's Nate."

"Hi Nate. Are you back in town?"

"Yeah. I wanted to apologize for the other day. I was really forward and inappropriate…so I'm sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize. I'm actually glad you called. I was hoping I'd get a chance to see you."

Nate felt himself relax. "I just moved to a new place and I need to decorate it. Would you be interested in going to a few galleries with me?"

Serena nodded against the phone. "I'd love that."

"Great. I'll pick you up in an hour."

Serena was in the 7th outfit she'd tried on when she heard footsteps approaching. Eric smiled at her. "You look nice."

Serena turned to face him. "Thanks. Do I look effortlessly nice or like I'm obviously trying too hard nice?"

He gave her a confused look. "Uhh…I dunno. Just nice."

Serena let out a frustrated groan. "You're no help at all!"

Eric laughed. "I like that dress it's casual but nice. Where are you going?"

Serena stood up. "I'm just hanging out with Nate."

Eric shook his head. "Have fun with that."

…

Serena took a sip of her champagne and stared at the piece in front of her. "Nate, what about this one? It's amazing."

Nate nodded. "I agree." He turned to the gallery worker. "Sam, we'll take it."

Sam nodded excitedly. "We'll have it sent to you immediately." He turned to Serena. "I'll be right back from feel free to look at the other pieces."

Serena smiled at him politely and looked back at Nate. "This is fun."

Nate nodded. "It is fun. Are you hungry? I'm hungry. We could go have dinner after this if you want."

Serena walked around the rest of the gallery "Sure. You've bought three gorgeous pieces already."

"I'll have my assistant make a reservation for us. French sound okay?"

Serena smiled at him. "What if we do something more casual? There are some amazing food trucks in SoHo that I've been dying to try."

Nate frowned at her. "A food truck?"

"Oh, come on! Don't be so uptight."

"I'm just surprised. Let's go."

…

Serena found it almost amusing at how Nate wore a baseball cap to avoid being recognized but it was hard because he stood out so much. He was tall, fit, and had mesmerizing blue eyes. She stood behind him as he ordered his food from the Korean/Mexican fusion truck they chose.

The lady taking his order was obviously flustered but recovered quickly and wrote down his order.

Nate looked back at her. "Do you want anything else?"

Serena shook her head. "You got it all."

Nate stepped to the side and Serena leaned over to him. "We should've gone to a restaurant. It's much more private. I completely forgot that you're so high profile now."

Nate shrugged. "It's alright. I have a new girlfriend every week as it is so this is nothing new for my publicist to deal with."

"I am sorry I've been so absent this past year…and that I left so suddenly."

"I never really understood why. You were an amazing campaign manager…we were in a good place, I thought."

"We were! I just wanted to see what was out there for me. You'd reached your dream and I felt like I hadn't done anything with my life."

"I wouldn't have gotten elected if it weren't for you."

The lady in the truck called his name. "Food's ready."

…


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it's been such a long time! Thanks so much for sill following this story. Please review! That's the only way I know to keep updating (I promise the next update will happen soon)

xo

...

Serena laughed and followed Nate into his office. "Wow. Fancy."

Nate smiled. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Serena looked away. "How is Cyrus?"

Nate was about to speak when there was a slight knock on the door. "Speak of the devil. Come in."

Cyrus, his chief of staff, opened the door and his eyes quickly found Serena. "It is great to see you Miss Van der Woodsen."

Serena smiled widely at him. "Don't I get a hug?"

Cyrus hugged her tightly. "It is good to see you too."

Nate glanced at his watch. "Excuse me. I will be back in a minute."

Cyrus waited for Nate to leave the room. He gave Serena's arm a friendly squeeze. "He has no clue."

Serena shook her head. "And he never will."

"Do you regret it?"

Serena stared off into the distance. "Yes. More than anything. You?"

Cyrus shook his head. "Never."

Nate came back in and Cyrus cleared his throat. "It's almost 10 pm. What are you guys doing here anyway?"

Nate smiled at Serena. "Well, we had dinner…she was helping me decorate my new place. And I wanted to show her all this."

"We should get going, Natie." Serena walked towards the door. "Take care, Cy."

…

"This feels like goodbye."

"It's more of a see you later."

Nate nodded and hugged her tightly. "I've missed having you here."

Serena held him tightly and inhaled his scent. "I will be back soon."

Nate pulled away. "Don't be a stranger, Van der Woodsen."

Serena smiled. "I won't. Don't disappoint your constituents? Eh, I have no come back."

Nate turned back to his car. "I'll call you."

Serena nodded. "Can't wait."

…

Serena spent her 5-hour flight home chatting with Blair. It was as if she'd never left. Blair was trying to find Chuck the perfect anniversary gift. Three years. Serena figured he'd propose any day now.

Serena sent Blair a quick text to let her know she had to shut off her phone for landing. She was just shutting it off when a new email popped up with the subject: Transfer approved: Welcome to our NYC office!

"Miss, please turn all electronics off at this moment."

Serena nodded at the flight attendant and shut her phone off. "Done."

Chelsea, one of Serena's closest friends, greeted her with a big hug. "Welcome back!"

Serena smiled at her. "Thanks so much for picking me up. I have so much to tell you!"

"Want to tell me over dinner?"

Serena nodded. "Sure. I'm starving."

…

Serena sat on her couch in her pajamas with a glass of wine on her hand. Congress was voting for an important bill and Nate was getting interviewed. He got a lot of camera time and all the media outlets were always so eager to talk to him. Serena didn't blame them; he's gorgeous. Her phone rang and she picked it up without looking at the screen. "Hello?"

"Hi. How was your flight?"

Serena smiled. "Nate. I was just watching you on TV. It was fine. It's almost 3am there. Why are you awake?"

"It's my first time sleeping at my new place. Felt weird."

"I haven't told anyone this but an executive position opened up in our New York Office and they offered it to me."

"Wow. Congratulations. Are you going to take it?"

"I think so. Seeing you all this weekend just made me realize it might be time for me to come home."

Nate smiled at the phone. "Wow. I mean I don't want to get my hopes up but this is exciting."

"The transfer would take like a month. Any chance I could get your realtor's number?"

"Of course. I'll have my secretary help you with anything you need."

Serena leaned back on her couch and closed her eyes. "Great. So, tell me about your day."

…

ONE MONTH LATER

Serena let out a drunken laugh. "This is exactly how I imagined spending my first night back. Thanks for letting me stay here, B."

Blair hiccupped. "We've had a lot of champagne. I don't have the attention span to watch another movie. Even if it is Audrey. And you can stay as long as you'd like!"

Serena smiled at her best friend. They'd been watching movies, gossiping and drinking for hours. She suddenly got serious. "Have you ever done something so horrible that you're afraid that no one will ever forgive you?"

Blair looked at her. "Hello!? That's pretty much all of high school for me."

Serena smiled and nodded. "Right."

Blair frowned at her. "What are you talking about? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Serena shook her head. "Not this. He would never forgive me."

"Who?"

Serena had to tell someone. She felt like she was going to drown. "Nate."

Blair sat up. "Tell me, S. We can fix this together."

"The numbers weren't looking so good. You know it's so hard for a non-incumbent to win…even with the Vanderbilt name. It was just so close…and we saw a chance to insure it. We took it."

"Who is we?" What are you talking about?"

"Cyrus. Cyrus…me…William. We rigged the election."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took me so long! Lemme know what you guys think of this chapter, please! xo**

...

Nate grinned at Serena and Blair. "Morning!"

Blair rolled her eyes at him. "Ugh, stop yelling at us, Nathaniel."

Nate laughed and gave them both a big hug. "Are you guys hung-over?"

Serena nodded. "We may have celebrated my return with a bottle of wine…or two."

"I don't have to work today. Do you still want help choosing between those two apartments you were telling me about?"

Serena nodded again. "Yes please. But first I need water. And ibuprofen."

Nate smiled. "Coming right up."

Blair looked from Nate to Serena. They were so comfortable around one another. Blair wondered how often they'd been talking. After all, Serena hadn't asked her to help her pick an apartment. Nate placed two pills and a glass of water in front of her.

Serena stood up lazily. "Wanna come, B?"

Blair shook her head. "I have a job to go to. But you two have fun."

Nate kissed her cheek. "Later."

…

Serena walked into the first apartment and fell in love. The pictures hadn't done the place justice. As soon as she walked in the light shining through the huge floor-length windows surrounded her. "This it."

Nate smiled at her. "It's beautiful. You sure you don't want to check out the other one?"

Serena shook her head. "No this is perfect."

"I agree. And it's only 5 blocks from my place. I already counted."

The real estate agent gave smiled at both of them. "Great! I'll leave you two alone while I bring up the paperwork. Just a few signatures and it's all yours."

Serena stood by the window and looked out to the city. She was in the heart of Downtown Manhattan. "It's beautiful."

Nate playfully nudged her. "Welcome home."

Serena reached for his hand. "How about I buy us dinner to celebrate?"

Nate spun her around. "How about we order in? Your first meal in your new place."

Serena nodded excitedly. "Chinese?"

Serena laid out all the different food they ordered on the large island of her kitchen. She heard a vibration and saw Nate's phone light up with a text message. A girl named Natalie: _Had a great time! Second date next week?_

Nate walked back into the room carrying the second bag of food when he saw the look at Serena's face. "What's wrong?"

He placed the bag along with the other food. Serena shook her head. "Nothing. Um, you got a text."

Nate checked it quickly. "Oh. That's nothing."

Serena cleared her throat and poked at some fried rice. "Let's just eat."

Nate tried to make eye contact with her and failed. "Okay. Let's eat."

Serena put her fork down suddenly. "Are you warm? It's warm in here. I'm gonna open a window."

Nate grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. He pressed his lips against hers. Serena pulled away. "What are you doing?"

Nate shook his head at her. "Uh…I'm not really sure. I panicked."

Serena leaned over and kissed him. Nate recovered from his shock in an instant and parted his lips to kiss her back.

Serena pulled away suddenly. "Sorry."

Nate gave her a confused look. He wasn't sure what to say. "Um…okay. I'm not really sure what you're apologizing for. But I hope it's not for the kiss because I really liked that."

"I liked it too."

Nate took a step toward her.

"But we should take things slow. I don't want to rush into anything."

Nate cleared his throat and took a step back. "Okay. That sounds good. Let's eat."

"Yeah. I mean, we are capable of self-control. Not everything has to lead to…" Serena couldn't even bring herself to say it. All she wanted to do was tear off all his clothes.

Nate watched as she struggled to finish her sentence. "Sex."

Serena felt herself blush. "Let's go to the bedroom."

Nate nodded and started to follow her. "Wait, you don't have a bed. You bought this place literally an hour ago."

"Shit. Shower? Let's go take a shower."

Nate grabbed her hand and led the way. "To the shower."

…

Blair glanced at the clock. It was 7pm and she was still not over her hangover. Blair suddenly let out a loud gasp as she remembered the confession Serena made to her.

Chuck looked up from his laptop. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?

"Um, nothing. Just thought I felt a wrinkle…" She couldn't keep something like this from him. There was no way.

"Chuck…"

Chuck looked up at her again. "Yes?"

"What I'm about to say can never leave this room…no one can know about this. Not even Nate."

Chuck gave her an amused look. "Okay…"

"Don't give me that look you Basstard! I'm serious. Swear to me."

"Okay. Okay. I swear."

"Nate's election…it was rigged. By Cyrus, William Vanderbilt, and Serena."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for reviewing, guys! I love all the feedback. I tried to make this chapter a bit longer. Lemme know what you think!**

...

Serena opened the door to find Chuck glaring at her. "Uhh…hi. How do you know where I live?"

Chuck let himself in. "Hello Serena. I know you told Blair."

Serena frowned at him. "Told Blair what?"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

Serena looked around. "Now's not a good time to talk about this –"

"No. We're going to talk about this now. I had to pretend I was shocked and had no idea what she was talking about."

"Chuck, can we talk about this –"

"Look, Serena, whatever feelings of remorse you're feeling…get over it. We made our bed now we all have to lie in it."

Nate walked out into the living room to see a very agitated Chuck talking to Serena aggressively. "What's going on?"

Serena looked at him. "Chuck just came by to see my new place."

Chuck smiled at Nate. "What are you doing here? Wait…are you two fucking?"

Nate shook his head at him. "Jesus. Can you not say it like that?"

"I'll take that as a yes. You have a lovely place, Serena. Nathaniel, I'll see you later." He gave Serena a kiss on the cheek for show and strolled out.

Nate put on his tie. "I'm sorry to leave so suddenly. I have to get some work done. I'll call you."

…

Serena had just sat down on her newly delivered couch when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Miss Van der Woodsen, I hear you're back in town."

Serena swallowed hard. "I am. Mr. Vanderbilt, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm sending a car to meet you in an hour. I do hope you're not busy. I really want to have a chat with you."

Serena suppressed a frustrated groan. She'd spent all day getting her furniture delivered and still hadn't gotten a chance to unpack. She was starting her new job tomorrow. But no one said no to William Vanderbilt. "Well, I guess I'll see you soon, sir."

"Great. I'll have dinner prepared for us. And if you could keep this meeting between just me and you, that would be great."

…

Serena walked in to the dining room to find William, Cyrus, and Chuck sitting at the dining table. They all stood up as she approached and sat back down as she took her seat.

"You're as beautiful as ever, Serena. No wonder my grandson has been spending so much time with you."

Serena looked at Chuck.

"Oh, don't blame him. I always know what Nathaniel is up to."

Serena cleared her throat. "I'm sorry but did I miss something? What are we all doing here?"

Cyrus smiled at her. "Another election is coming up, darling."

Serena took a sip of wine. "His approval ratings are through the roof. He's an incumbent now. He doesn't need us to –"

Cyrus interrupted her. "Sorry, Serena. That was a terrible joke."

Chuck sipped his scotch. "There's a reporter asking questions.

Serena took a bigger sip of wine. "What kind of questions?"

William unfolded his napkin on his lap. "Nothing that I can't take care of. But Cyrus insists that we must all go over some basics. But before that, let's eat."

…

Serena walked out of the elevator to see Nate sitting at her doorstep. She couldn't help but smile. "Hey there."

Nate stood up. "Hi. I was just waiting for you to get home. I called a few times."

Serena held up her phone. "It's dead." She unlocked the door and let him in.

"I brought you a housewarming gift. It's an espresso machine…I didn't know what else to get."

"Ooh a Keurig. I love it." She took the box from him and put it on the counter.

"I should get going. I have work tomorrow and it's your first day." He kissed her cheek.

"Okay. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow. After work."

Nate nodded. "Sounds great. Have a good night."

Serena closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Nate was perfect and she was a big fat liar. She hated herself. She quietly changed into her pajamas and went to bed.

…

Nate was exhausted and starving after a long day of work. He looked at his watch. Serena would be there any second. Just then, the doorbell rang. "Come in!"

Serena walked in carrying a big box of pizza. "I hope you don't mind. I just didn't feel like doing out for dinner."

Nate hopped off the couch and helped her with the bags. "Not at all, this is perfect."

A few minutes later, Serena was stuffed. She lay on his rug in the living room.

Nate lay on his back next to her. "How was work?"

Serena gave him a small smile. "It was great. I really like everyone. Our office is awesome; you have to come check it out. There are a bunch of great murals. I'm exhausted though, I met so many different people and have to remember what department they're each in. How was you day?"

Nate shrugged. "Kinda boring. Had to take a bunch of pictures shaking hands with a bunch of CEOs. I didn't really do anything interesting."

Serena rolled over and gave his lips a quick kiss. He stopped her from pulling away and kissed her deeply.

Serena pulled away after a few seconds. "I should go."

…

"I don't know, man. I'm confused."

Chuck dribbled the basketball away from Nate. "Uhh…well…so there's no sex?"

"We had sex once. And we hang out pretty often. But she always cuts it short or just like doesn't seem interested in doing it again."

"Ouch."

"It's not about sex. I swear. I love just hanging out with her but I want this to be going somewhere. I just mean that if this is her way of throwing me in the friend zone then I want to know that now."

"Sounds like something you should talk about."

Nate got the ball away from him and shot for a basket. Missed. "Well how do I bring it up without her thinking that's the only thing I'm interested in? The fact that I now come to you for advice is terrifying…"

Chuck laughed and caught the rebound. He shot the basket and made it. "That's game."

…


	6. Chapter 6

…

Blair finished the last of her mimosa. "I'm just saying…I better have a ring on my finger before I'm 25. I want to be married at 25."

Serena shook her head at her. "You can't control every last aspect of your life."

"Can too! I mean we all pretty much know what we're doing with our lives. I mean, Nate is going to be a Congressman for a few more years until he's old enough to run for Senate then he'll be a Senator until he retires. Chuck and I will acquire a few more companies and become a super billionaire business mogul couple. And you'll be beautiful forever and marry some foreign price or oil tycoon heir or something. But you'll be successful on your own obviously, no one could call you a gold digger."

"Wow." Serena took a sip of her drink. "You have it all planned out."

"If only I could get that ring from the Basstard. I should just bully Nate into marrying me. I'll have the Vanderbilt ring and be this generation's Jackie Kennedy. My children would be genetically gifted."

Serena took another sip and waited for her to continue.

"Of course, Nate will inevitably get down on one knee and propose to you. But we all know what you will do when that sort of commitment presents itself."

Serena glared at Blair. "Did you ask me to brunch just to insult me?"

Blair shook her head. "No, of course not. I'm sorry. That was out of line." She set her drink down. "Sorry. How are things with you and Nate anyway?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't really talked about it. I guess we're just hanging out and seeing how things go. I'm trying not to make things physical just yet."

"Ah, taking it slow? So unlike you two."

"I think he's dating other people."

"I'm sure they mean nothing to him. Beside's the you not wanting to get physical thing just makes him think you're not interested, or at least that's what he told Chuck."

All these Nate talk made Serena miss him. She thought about her soft his lips were and how warm his skin felt against hers. His blue eyes seemed to peer into her soul and –

"Serena? Still there?" Blair waved a hand in front of the blonde's face.

Serena smiled at her. "I gotta go. I'll see you later."

…

Serena walked into Nate's office and was greeted by a friendly smile from his assistant. "Is Nate busy?"

"He just got done with a meeting. Go right ahead."

Serena smiled widely and walked into Nate's office. She closed the door behind her quietly.

Nate stood up and gave her a confused look. "This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"

Serena wasn't really sure what to say. She expected him to walk over, spin her around, and kiss her passionately. "Uh…I don't really know. I just had to see you. I just…I'm very confused by what we're doing. I mean, we hang out all the time. I guess I'm just not sure what you want, if you want anything at all. Because if you don't want anything then that's okay too, no pressure, I just –"

"Serena."

She looked at him. "What?"

Nate decided to torture her for a second longer. "You're rambling. You're not making any sense."

"Right. Sorry. I guess I'm just nervous."

"Nervous?" Nate laughed and walked over to her. "Do I make you nervous?"

Serena felt herself blush as he combed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Well…you are more intimidating than I remembered."

"I am not." He looked at the time. "I have a meeting in 5 minutes. But I will get out of work as soon as possible and I'll come find you." He lifted her chin up and kissed her.

Serena smiled as she pulled away. "I can't wait."

Nate pulled her in for a tight hug. "Me neither." He kissed her again. "See you soon."

…

Serena had been desperately trying to keep herself busy all day. She'd just made an ass out of herself in front of Nate. She had to stop herself from calling or texting him a quick apology. Maybe she could say she spent too much time in the sun.

She tried to organize her closet by color and style like Blair did but she got bored after 20 minutes. She watched a couple episodes of Sex and the City but they only made her feel worse about the reality of dating.

Nate wasn't coming. She probably scared the shit out of him. She was just about to start organizing her dresser when the doorbell rang.

Serena opened the door to find Nate standing there looking flawless in a suit. He'd undone his tie and it hang around his neck sloppily. "Hi Natie."

Nate leaned over and kissed her. He didn't break the kiss as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

Serena lay on her back and tried to catch her breath. She couldn't remember the last time she was this happy.

Nate kissed her hand softly and let his eyes close.

…

Serena had just finished shampooing her hair when she heard a knock on the bathroom door. Nate's head poked in. "Can I join you?"

Serena opened the glass door to let him in. "Morning."

Nate kissed her lips softly. "Morning. Wanna get food?"

She nodded. "We can order in from somewhere." She knew he preferred not being seen out by the press.

"I was actually thinking about that little French place we used to go to with the delicious crepes and French toast."

"Mmm…I haven't been there in so long it's delicious. What about the press? They always seem to hunt you down. Especially there, with the outdoor seating."

"Fuck them. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm sneaking around. I don't have anything to hide. Besides, I want to show off my girlfriend."

Serena kissed his shoulder. "Your girlfriend? I like the sound of that."

…

Spotted: S_ & N holding hands and having brunch. Move over C & B, you have just been dethroned as the hottest couple in the city. Let's see how long the golden couple lasts this time! xoxo_

Blair rolled her eyes at her computer screen. She put it away and walked downstairs.

Chuck opened the car door for her and slid in after her. He told instructions to the driver and then put up the divider.

He looked over at Blair. "You look stressed."

Blair shot him a dirty look. "We're the hottest couple in this city."

Chuck leaned over and kissed her neck. He placed his hand on her thigh and slid up her skirt to expose black, lacy underwear. "Take them off."

Blair hesitated for a second but slid off her underwear as Chuck unbuckled and unzipped his pants. He pulled her onto his lap so that she straddled him then he lowered her hips down onto him.

…

Nate stood up and stretched out his hand. "Pleasure as always, Mr. Barnes."

Mr. Barnes gave him a smile. "I won't be such a pleasure next time if you don't get those zoning laws fixed."

Nate gave him a firm handshake. "I will look over the bill at my earliest convenience."

"I have a lot of money, Mr. Archibald. I know you're going to be looking for reelection next year. I always repay favors."

Nate walked him to the door. "Have a nice day." He closed the door firmly behind him and fought the urge to punch the wall.

Cyrus poked his head in. "Did you agree to change the zoning laws?"

"I will not be bullied into changing zoning laws just so he can build overpriced condos."

"Mr. Barnes is a very powerful ally."

"He's a fucking prick. Why don't the current zoning laws allow him to construct anyway?"

"Oh, some minor issue about pollution…"

"One of our major endorsers is a green energy company. How are they going to feel when I change the law just so a billionaire can make more millions?"

"We can cover it up. Word it differently. If we frame it in the right way, we can spin it. Say this gives creates more jobs to help the construction industries…have them put solar panels on the roof." He placed the file in front of him.

Nate shook his head. "Enough. Just let me be alone for a second. Tell Linda to not forward any phone calls."

Nate sat on his couch on rubbed his temples. He heard a knock on the door. "Jesus. Can't I have 5 minutes to myself!?" He looked up to see a startled Serena staring at him. He stood up. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"I'm sorry if this is a bad time I can –"

"No, no. Come in." He closed the door behind her. "I didn't mean to yell at you. I've just had a terrible morning." He led her to the couch.

Serena wrapped her arms around him tightly. "What's wrong? We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, babe."

Nate kissed her lips. He missed hearing her call him that. "I'd rather not. Let's just sit here for a while."

Serena kissed his cheek and snuggled against his neck. "I could stay like this forever."

"I have to go to DC tomorrow. We're voting on a bill…I'll be gone for a few days. Come with me."

"I can't. I have a job, remember?"

"Quit your job. You don't need it. I can give you a job if you're bored."

"I like my job."

"You're just a consultant. You can consult me."

Serena glared at him. "You're being condescending."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just going to miss you, that's all."

Serena stood up. "I'll see you when you get back."

Nate watched her walk away and close the door behind her. He slammed a fist against the coffee table. He pulled out his phone. "Hey, I could really use a drink. Today is not my day."

Chuck smirked on the other side of the line. "Same, actually. Meet you in half an hour, the usual spot?"

"Great. On my way."

…


	7. Chapter 7

…

"You should've heard him, Blair. Just talking about how I should quit my job because I don't really do anything of importance anyway."

"Oh I'm sure he didn't say it like that."

"That's what he meant! The tone of condescension was just so annoying. Drives me crazy."

"I'm sure he'll realize he was an ass and apologize. Have you talked to him lately?"

"He's in DC for the next few days. He called me a few times but I haven't picked up."

"Ouch."

Serena shrugged. "Well, I'm just letting him suffer for a bit. Besides, this way he'll miss me more when he gets back."

"Serena. I turn 25 in a couple weeks. I am planning the party of the year."

Serena thought back to what she did for her birthday three months ago. Dinner with a couple of friends. She was too busy figuring out the logistics of her move from LA to New York. "I will help you in any way that I can."

"Great. That's just what I wanted to hear. I'm thinking a roof top scene. We could do it at the rooftop deck of the Palace."

Serena smiled at Blair. "Sounds perfect."

…

Serena heard Nate clear his throat. "I feel stupid talking to your voicemail like this. I really wish you'd pick up. I miss you. Call me back when you get a chance."

Serena deleted the voicemail and hit the call back button. She heard Nate's voice on the line after the second ring. "Hello?"

Serena smiled against the phone. She knew Nate didn't mean anything by his earlier remark. "Hi babe. Sorry. I've been very busy helping Blair plan her birthday bash."

Nate laughed. He was relieved to hear her voice. "Wow. That's coming up, huh? You'll have to help me shop for her."

"Yeah. How's it going there?"

"Eh, you know. Just me and a bunch of boring old dudes disagreeing about stuff. Nothing too exciting." He decided against telling her about the escorts some of the other men were with. "I'm in bed and going to sleep after this."

Serena bit her bottom lip. "Ah, I see. So what are you wearing?"

Nate laughed. "Pajama pants."

"No shirt? Hot."

"Let's not do this. It only makes me miss you more."

"You're no fun. I miss you too. Go to bed. I'll see you soon." She made a kissy noise at the phone.

Nate let out a small yawn. "Alright. Good night, baby."

"Night."

…

Serena took her car to go pick Nate up at the airport. She couldn't wait to see him. Nate's bodyguard opened the door and she hopped out and threw her arms around him.

Nate hugged her back tightly. "Hi." He pulled away to kiss her.

"Hi."

Nate turned to the protective services agent assigned to him. "George, you can go home with your family now." He always had to be with him when he was in the Capitol but in New York he got a lot of time off. Nate waved goodbye to Cyrus and climbed into the car with Serena.

Serena pulled him in for another kiss. "I got you a present."

"A present? How come?"

"Just cause." She pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. "Courtside seats to the Knicks game!?"

"I figured you and Chuck could go."

Nate vaguely remembered mentioning that he hadn't been to a game in a while. "Perfect. Thank you."

"Well I got you a second gift. Kinda."

"You did?"

Serena nodded. "But I'm wearing it. And you're gonna have to wait till we get home."

Nate caressed her thigh. "Wow. I can't wait."

…

Serena rolled over in bed. She stretched out her arm and felt around for Nate. She opened her bed and frowned when she saw he wasn't there.

She lazily walked to the bathroom and brushed her teeth then splashed cold water on her face. She saw a note on the dining table: Had to go work for a couple hours. Didn't wanna wake you. Love, Nate

Serena heard a knock on the door. "Come in!"

Erik poked his head in. "Hey stranger."

Serena smiled and walked over to wrap her brother in a big hug. "I completely forgot about our brunch plans. When did you get in last night?"

"Around midnight. Then I passed out. How have you been? I hear you're saving the world now."

Serena laughed. "No. Just a few villages in West Africa. Actually we're the first private company to build wells there. So we're very lucky."

Eric smiled. "I missed you, big sis. Mom and I saw you and Nate on page 6 today. You went to some gallery opening. How are things going with him?"

"I think they're good. We're seeing where things go, not trying to put too much pressure on things."

"Good to hear. He's a busy guy nowadays. The media hounds him."

"Yeah I know. He works like 60-hour weeks, it's insane. But enough about him, let's go get food."

Eric nodded. "Let's go."

…

Serena looked up see Nate standing in the doorway. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

Nate walked in and kissed her. "You have a nice office. I just stopped by to say hi. Sorry I've been so MIA this week."

"That's okay. I know you're busy."

"Yeah…so...actually I was wondering if you'd come to DC with me next weekend. It's the White House Correspondents Dinner and we're all expected to be there. I know it's a very high-profile event and our first public appearance I guess but it could be fun."

Serena nodded. "Yeah."

Nate looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Why do you look so nervous?"

Nate shrugged. "I just don't want to freak you out by moving to fast."

Serena walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm not getting freaked out. I love you."

Nate nodded at her. "I love you too." He leaned forward and kissed her deeply.

Serena kissed him back for a few seconds until her phone interrupted them. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"Yeah, get back to work. I will see you later."

She blew him a kiss. "Bye."

…

Serena walked into her building to find a huge arrangement of flowers waiting for her in the lobby. One of the doormen carried it up for her and placed it on her coffee table. "Thank you so much."

She pulled out her phone and called Nate. "Hey baby!" She noticed a card on the bouquet. "I just called to say I got the flowers and they're –" She read the card and felt her heart sink.

Nate frowned on the other end of the line. "Uhh...flowers?"

"What? Nothing. I gotta go. I'll call you later"

Nate heard the line click and put down his phone with a confused expression. Cyrus sat across from his desk and gave him a confused look. "Everything all right, sir?"

"Yeah, Serena just wasn't making any sense."

Cyrus' sat on the desk and it lit up with a phone call. Nate read Serena's name on the screen before he snatched it up. "That's all I have for you today. I should take this. Give me a shout if you need anything else."

"Uh…okay. Bye."

…

"Serena is rubbing shoulders with celebrities and powerful politicians while I'm here trying to pick the flowers for my 25th birthday."

Chuck rolled his eyes at her. "You're being annoying."

Blair glared at him.

"Sorry. Just don't worry about Serena or Nate or whatever. Focus on you."

"It's not about Serena or Nate! It's about you! It's about us."

"About us?"

"I want a ring, Chuck! I don't know how else to hint at it. I put you on the Tiffany's mailing list! I don't like feeling desperate or like I'm trapping you. I just assumed that's where we were headed because that's what we've talked about."

…

Serena was bored after a long day of shopping by herself in Washington DC. The driver Nate had for her seemed too serious and tried to limit small talk.

She bought herself a dress and a shirt and she got Nate a pair of sunglasses that she was sure would look amazing on him. Nate's apartment was big and very minimally decorated. There was a lot of empty wall space and only 2 of the 4 bedrooms were furnished. She sat on the couch and watched the seconds tick by on the clock in front of her.

She heard a key in the door and looked over excitedly as Nate walked in. She jumped up and ran over to him. "You're home!"

Nate hugged her tightly and kissed her. "Sorry it took so long. There were all these debates but anyway. How was your day?"

Serena shrugged. "Fine. I did a little bit of shopping. I had the longest lunch known to man…by myself! Five different employees knew my name by the time I was out of there. I think they felt bad for me. But I've had a great weekend."

Nate smiled. "I'm glad." It was 5PM on a Sunday. The White House Correspondents dinner was the event of the season and everyone was still recovering from hangovers. "Have you seen the view?"

Serena shook her head. "I haven't done much exploring."

Nate grabbed her hand and led her upstairs. They went past the bedrooms and into a large common room. He opened the glass doors for her to step out onto the large deck.

Serena stepped through the doors and gasped. "Wow. I can see like 3 different monuments from here. This place is almost as beautiful as New York."

"Do you think you could see yourself living here in the future?"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Wow, look at this sunset."

"When I think about my future and think about everything that's been planned out for me…I'll be a congressman for a few years until I'm eligible to run for Senate and then stay there until I retire, probably. It all bores me to death, honestly. But I also see you there with me every step of the way."

Serena looked over at him and noticed that he was getting on one knee. "Oh my god! Nate…Nate…stop stop."

Nate looked hurt for a second. "You want me to stop?"

Serena shook her head. "No don't! Oh my god. I just can't believe this. Okay. I'm going to shut up."

Nate laughed and started to stand up again. "Well you kinda ruined the moment."

Serena put her hands on his shoulders to stop him from getting up. "No!"

Nate smiled and went back to kneeling. "I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I have known this for so many years now. You are so beautiful and have an amazing heart and I want to wake up next to you every day for the rest of my life." He pulled a very old wooden box from his pocket. "This is my great grandmothers ring. Will you marry me?"

Serena couldn't say anything. She just nodded her head stupidly and felt her eyes sting with water. Nate slipped the ring onto her left hand ring finger. He pressed his lips against hers and spun her around.

Serena held on to him tightly and kissed him again. "I love you so much."

…

Serena woke up the next morning and stared at her left hand. She'd never seen a more beautiful piece of jewelry. She kept forgetting about it and when she'd glance down she'd see it and smile all over again.

She dialed to her secretary. "I'm going out for lunch now. It may be a bit long so please take any messages. Mr. Daniels is going to call to set up a meeting. Thanks."

She walked the three blocks to the restaurant where Nate and her were going to tell Blair and Chuck about her engagement. She wondered how Blair's party planning was going. Her birthday was only a few days away.

Nate smiled and waved her over. "Hi Mrs. Archibald."

Serena sat next to him and kissed him briefly. "Hi."

Chuck sat across from them and Blair walked in a few seconds later. She kissed Serena and Nate on the cheek and ordered a gin martini. "Good to see you guys after your romantic weekend away! How was it?"

"It was great!" Serena kept her left hand under the table on Nate's knee for all of lunch. She told them about every other aspect and Blair went on and on about her birthday party.

Nate glanced at his watch. "I should get back to the office." He smiled at Serena and put his hand over hers under the table. "But actually we wanted to have lunch with you guys today because we wanted you guys to be the first to know." He grabbed her hand and put it on top of the table.

Serena kissed him quickly. "We're engaged!"

Blair's jaw dropped when she saw the ring on Serena's finger. She snatched her hand and brought it closer. It was the most beautiful ring in existence. "Oh. My. God."

Chuck went over and gave Nate a hug. "I'm happy for you, Nathaniel." He kissed Serena on the cheek. "And you, Serena."

Blair snapped out of her trance and went over to hug her best friend. "I can't believe it! You have to tell me how he proposed. Was it good? It better have been amazing, Nate!"

Blair hugged Nate tightly. "Have you guys set a date?"

Nate shook his head. "This just happened yesterday."

Serena took Nate's hand. "We're not in a rush. We're both very busy right now. Maybe in a year or so?"

Nate nodded in agreement. "Whatever you want is fine with me. I really do have to get to work. I will see you guys soon. Love you."

Chuck knew Nate was talking to Serena but he replied anyway, "Love you too, Nathaniel." He gave him a playful smack on the butt.

Nate laughed and shook his head at him. "Yeah yeah. Bye."

Blair smiled and gave Serena one last squeeze before running off to a meeting.

Serena looked at Chuck. "I should get back to work too."

Chuck took her hand. "That's a beautiful ring. The famous coveted Vanderbilt ring. You realize you'll have to lend that to the Met for a month every couple of years, right? I'm sure William is going to be ecstatic when he hears the news." His tone changed suddenly. "You realize you can never tell him, right?"

Serena pulled away. "I know. Can we not talk about that? Can't you just be happy for us?"

Chuck nodded. "I am happy for you. You're happy and you make Nate the happiest man in the world. But I still worry about you. You are the weakest link."

Serena rolled her eyes at him. "Goodbye Chuck."

Chuck grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. "My sincerest congratulations." He kissed her cheek. "Goodbye."

…


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! Sorry it took so long to update but here ya go!**

**Warning: sex scenes hehe**

**...**

Nate looked at Serena. "You're not wearing your ring."

Serena nodded. "I know. I'm not going to wear it tonight. It's Blair's birthday party and I don't want to take away any attention."

"Ah, makes sense. She'd murder both of us."

Nate felt immediately overwhelmed by Blair's party. There were people everywhere. He looked at Serena who gave him a frown. He shrugged at her. "I guess I'll go find Chuck."

Chuck stood talking to a couple of guys they knew from high school. They both gave Nate a friendly greet. "Anthony! Jack! Good to see you guys."

Chuck gave his best friend a pat on the back. "This guy here is engaged."

Jack's eyes widened. "No way! Serena?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah. I'm a very lucky man."

Anthony shook his hand. "Dude…yes you are. She is smokin'."

"We haven't really announced it yet."

Jack gave him a high-five. "Congrats! I'm going to get another drink."

Anthony nodded and followed him to the bar.

Chuck turned to Nate. "Get that stupid grin off your face."

Nate laughed. "Stop being such a hater. Do you want to marry Blair?"

Chuck nodded. "Of course."

"Why haven't you proposed? She's getting impatient."

"I'm not gonna let her pressure me into it. I'll propose when I feel like it. Besides, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives anyway, right? I don't see the rush."

Nate shook his head at him. "Stubborn as ever."

Chuck slapped his back. "You look happy."

"Dude, I am over the fucking moon. My parents and I have been getting along great. The clean energy bill I helped write passed yesterday. I am going to marry Serena Van der Woodsen. I have no complaints."

Chuck took a sip of his drink. He felt an unfamiliar tension in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't place it. Was he nervous? No…tired, maybe? He looked at his best friend and his stomach sank deeper. It was guilt.

…

Nate walked into Serena's apartment to see Dan sitting in her living room. He gave him a confused look. "Hey."

Dan stood up and smiled at him. "Hey dude, it's been a while."

Nate nodded. "Yeah it has. What are you up to?"

Dan shrugged. "Working for a publication company. I hadn't seen Serena in so long so we finally got around to catching up."

Serena walked into the room. "Oh hey Nate. I didn't know you were coming here after work."

Nate gave her a dirty look. "I sent you a text."

"Oh. My phone died. I just plugged it in."

Dan looked from Nate to Serena. "Well I'm going to get going." He gave Serena a hug. "It was good seeing you. Nate, good seeing you too."

Serena smiled at Dan. "I'll walk you out."

Nate stood silently in the living room and watched as Serena walked back towards him. She frowned at him. "You look grumpy."

"Seeing you and your ex-boyfriend is kind of a mood killer."

Serena gave him an amused look and let out an exaggerated gasp. "Nathaniel, are you jealous?"

Nate shook his head. "I'm glad you think this is funny."

Serena walked over to him and kissed his cheek. "It's kinda hot." She slowly started unbuttoning his dress shirt.

Nate took a step back. "I'm not really in the mood."

Serena gave him a pout. "Fine, suit yourself. I'll be in the bedroom getting started without you."

Nate couldn't help but laugh. "You're absurd, you know that?"

"I'm absurd? You're the one who's jealous of my high school boyfriend. I'm wearing your ring, aren't I?"

Nate nodded at her. "I'm sorry. I'm being stupid. So what were you saying about the bedroom?"

…

"I went to your office today."

Serena looked at Nate. "Yeah I know. I'm sorry I missed you. You didn't leave a message."

Nate nodded. "I know. I wanted to go out to lunch but apparently you already had plans."

Serena knew that look he was giving her and avoided his gaze. She cleared her throat. "Yeah, sorry. We can have lunch tomorrow."

"Why were you having lunch with my grandfather? It's so random."

"He just wanted to talk about things."

Nate hated being lied to. "You have a standing lunch appointment with him every other week. For months! Why?"

"You went through my stuff?"

Nate frowned at her. "Are you serious? I was waiting in your office and I got bored. I was going to leave you a stupid note telling you how much I love you and your calendar was up."

"It's not a big deal, Nate. Your grandfather is a very hard person to say no to. You know this. When he calls, you go."

"But why is he calling you?"

Serena couldn't stop herself from blurting out; she was panicking as she saw Nate getting angry. "It's not just me!"

"What do you mean?"

"Cyrus…and Chuck too."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Look, it's not a big deal. Your grandfather just likes knowing what's going on. We're all very close to you. So we have lunch every once in a while. I hardly even talk. Cyrus just talks about policy stuff."

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"I don't know! I didn't want it to be a big deal."

"My fiancé, my grandfather, my best friend, and my chief of staff all meet behind my back. It's a little strange." He stood up suddenly.

"Where are you going?"

Nate pulled out his phone. "Home. I'm tired. And I have to call my grandfather."

…

Chuck paced back and forth angrily. "You think this is a fucking game!?"

"What was I supposed to do Chuck? I was losing him. I had to tell him something."

"How convenient for you! Now you're the only one he's not mad at."

Serena stood up angrily. "Get out of my house. You do not get to come in here and yell at me. I am not a child."

"You need to get your shit together. If Nate ever finds out, you have the most to lose."

Serena was taken aback when the reality of his words hit her. He was right.

Chuck saw her hurt face. "I'm sorry. I know I'm taking this out on you when I shouldn't. We just have to make this go away, okay? We don't want him to get suspicious."

Serena nodded. "Okay."

Chuck kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later."

Serena gave him a small smile. "Later."

Nate walked in and smiled at Serena. "Hey. I just ran into Chuck outside."

Serena nodded. "Yeah he just came by to get some advice on Blair."

"Ah. Listen I'm sorry I freaked out on you yesterday. It was just weird."

She shook her head. "It's okay." She walked over to him and kissed him deeply.

Nate led her to the couch without breaking their kiss. He carefully positioned himself on top of her.

Serena broke their kiss to slip his shirt off. She sat up so Nate could slide her dress off easily.

Nate kissed her neck softly as he slipped out of his pants. He went back to kiss her lips and saw tears sliding down her face. "Baby, what's wrong? We don't have to do this."

Serena shook her head at him and held him tightly to her. "No, it's nothing. I just…I'm PMSing. I'm probably getting my period soon."

Nate nodded. "Okay. What if we watch TV instead?"

Serena nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry. I love you."

Nate scooted off her and kissed her cheek. "I love you too."

…

Serena bit her lip in concentration. She smiled and pulled out the small wooden block and then placed in at the top of the tower. Jenga was always a fun game for her.

Nate frowned in concentration. He carefully pulled out a piece.

Serena wanted to win. "Man, it's hot in here." She unbuttoned the front of her blouse casually.

Nate looked up suddenly at the sight of her lazy bra. Before he knew it, the tower tumbled down all over the table. "Cheater!"

Serena shrugged. "Don't be such a sore loser." She sipped the last of her wine.

Nate gave her a fake angry look. "You're gonna have to pay for that, you know." He got up and walked over to her.

Serena stood up to glare at him. "I'm not afraid of you, Archibald."

"Oh, yeah?" Nate grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down to the floor.

Serena squirmed around on the floor trying to avoid his tickling. "Nate…stop, stop!"

Nate laughed. "You deserved that." He lay down next to her and propped himself up on his shoulder.

Serena looked at him. "What are you looking at?"

"Just admiring you." Nate put a hand on her thigh and slid it up her skirt.

Serena let out a small moan as Nate's fingers found their destination. Serena felt her body start tensing up when a phone rang.

Nate sighed and pulled away. "I gotta get this."

Serena let out a frustrated groan. "Are you serious!? Jesus. I'll be in the bedroom. Hurry the fuck up."

Nate nodded at her and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Serena slipped off all her clothes right as Nate appeared on the doorway. He gave her an apologetic look and walked over to her. He pulled the phone away from his ear to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "My secretary suddenly quit so I'm scrambling to get a new one." He turned back to the phone. "Yes, I'm listening. Go ahead."

Serena rolled her eyes and pulled on the strings of his pajama pants. She watched as they slid to the floor and pulled down his boxers with them.

Nate stepped out of the pool of clothes at his feet. Serena led him to the bed and gently pushed his backwards.

"Cyrus, that sounds great. Okay. Bye. Ok. Bye. Yeah. Bye!" He hung up and tossed his phone to the side then pulled Serena on top of him.

She climbed onto his lap and slowly lowered herself on top of him. Nate smiled up at her and grabbed her hips to help her set the pace.

His phone started ringing and Serena let out a frustrated groan and pulled away from him.

Nate reached for her arm. "I'm so sorry. I have to take this. It's my new secretary. Give me like five minutes."

She pulled away. "Take it! I'm going home."

…

"Now she's super mad at me."

Chuck laughed at Nate's story. "So you're fucking your really hot girl…and you stop to take a phone call from your secretary."

"I know! I feel bad. I just had to talk to her to brief her on some stuff and Cyrus was at an important dinner. It was worse for me than it was for Serena." Nate turned the corner to his office and bumped into Chuck. "What –" He stopped when he saw that Chuck was admiring his new secretary.

Chuck looked at Nate. "Serena is gonna be pissed."

The beautiful brunette stood up when she saw them. "Mr. Archibald. I'm Lisa." She stuck her hand out.

Nate gave her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Lisa." He gestured to Chuck. "This is my best friend, Chuck Bass."

"Mr. Bass, of course. Nice to meet you."

Chuck shook her hand. "The pleasure is all mine. I should get to work. I'll leave you two."

"Did you get to read all the files last night? I know there were a lot so it's fine if you didn't."

"I did. I wrote you notes for all of them. And here is your coffee. Cyrus told me how you liked it."

Nate took the cup from her. "Uh, thanks. Well, I have to make a few phone calls but we can go over those files in an hour or so."

…

Serena walked into Nate's office and saw a very pretty girl sitting at the desk in the lobby. She walked over to her. "Is Nate in there?"

The brunette looked up at her. "Sorry, do you have an appointment?"

Serena frowned. "I never have an appointment. I'm his fiancé."

She stood up quickly. "Oh I'm sorry. You must be Serena. I'm Lisa. It's my first day. He's in a meeting."

Serena handed her a box. "Here. Tell him it's a peace offering. He'll know what it means."

Nate heard a knock on the door and saw Lisa poke her head in. "Come in."

"Um, hi. Serena came by and dropped this off. She says it's a peace offering."

Nate smiled "Thanks. Hey, how about we go out to lunch for your first day?"

Lisa shrugged. "Sure."

"Great. I'll let Cyrus know."

…


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the update! Sorry it took me a bit. Keep reviewing! I love reading all your comments. Enjoy! xo**

...

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Nate locked her office door behind him. "I got your gift."

Serena stood up and crossed her arms. "Good."

"I'm sorry I left you sexually frustrated."

Serena rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up."

"Your office is pretty empty. Everyone went to lunch."

"So?"

Nate walked around the desk and hugged her from behind. "I missed you."

Serena pulled away. "She's very pretty."

Nate looked at her. "Who?"

Serena gave him a dirty look. "Lisa."

Nate shrugged. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You insult my intelligence."

"I mean, I guess she's attractive, yeah. I didn't know that hiring her."

"Yeah, right."

"What? You want me to fire her? Fine. She's fired." He turned to leave.

"Oh, don't do that! Don't make me that girl."

Nate rubbed his temples. He'd had a very long day. "What do you want me to say? What can I do to make you happy?"

Serena shook her head. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Me too. Have a great fucking day." Nate walked out and slammed the door behind him.

…

Serena walked in to see Nate sitting on the couch, reading something on his iPad.

She let out a loud sigh and went over to sit next to him. "How was work?"

Nate shrugged. "Fine."

Serena gave him a small pout. "Are you upset with me?"

Nate looked at her and smiled. She was so beautiful. He shook his head. "No. That was a stupid argument today."

She pressed her lips against his cheek. "I know. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." She pressed her lips to his and kissed him softly.

Nate pulled away with a smile. "There's something I want to talk to you about. There's an important gala next weekend. It's the biggest charity event of the year with a bunch of important and very boring people. I was wondering if you wanted to come wearing that ring."

Serena nodded. "Of course."

"Listen, this will be our first public announcement of our engagement. People seem to be involved enough in our relationship but there's no turning back from this. I'm afraid that it'll make us targets for the paparazzi."

"Nate, I doubt people are going to care that much. Senators and congressmen get married all the time and nothing happens."

"I know, I know. I may just be paranoid. But the media loves you and they can be vicious. I know you can handle it, I just wanted you to be prepared."

"Most people already know we're engaged anyway. Confirming it should be fine. Besides, people will be too focused on what everyone is wearing at the gala to give it much notice."

Nate nodded. "You're probably right." He kissed her again. "It'll be fun."

…

Cyrus gave Serena a big hug. "Serena, you look beautiful. I'm glad you two finally made it in here. The press must have gone wild when they saw the ring."

Nate nodded. "Yeah, they're very annoying. We can make an announcement on Monday or something."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes, on Monday. But for now, let's just have some fun."

Cyrus nodded. "The drinks are right this way."

Serena was tired of all the small talk she made with the different women. She got into a pretty heated discussion with the mayor's chief of staff and then went to find Nate.

Nate's eyes found hers from across the room. He smiled at her before turning back to his conversation.

Serena made her way over to him when a tall brunette stepped in her way. "Hi. Serena, right?"

Serena smiled politely and nodded.

"I'm Rachel. I want to be a journalist. You were an editor for the college newspaper in Columbia, right?"

"For the Media section, yes."

"Ah, well I'm more into politics. I just started at CNN, we're researching voter fraud at the more local level. We're finding some pretty interesting patterns actually –"

Serena frowned at her. "Excuse me, I'm not feeling very well. I'm going to find my date."

Serena brushed past her quickly and walked out of the ballroom and into the reception area. Her dress suddenly felt so tight that it was making it hard for her to breathe.

She saw Nate walking toward her out of the corner of her eye. She didn't even think she could look him in the eye right now.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

Serena shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to make a quick call." She pulled out her phone and attempted a smile.

He gave her a concerned look. "Okay…um, we can go whenever you want."

"It just started. I'm fine. I'll be right in there."

Nate nodded. "Okay. Just don't go outside by yourself, the reporters are still out there. I'll see you inside."

"I won't. Okay. See you soon."

Serena pulled out her phone and typed out a quick message to three people: _We need to meet. ASAP_


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry the last chapter was so short! This one is a bit longer. Enjoy!**

...

Blair let out a content sigh as Chuck kissed her neck softly. He heard his phone chime and rolled his eyes. "Let me turn that off."

He reached for the phone and saw Serena's text. He let out an involuntarily low growl.

Blair looked over at him. "What's taking you so long? Get over here."

"I'll be right back."

"Okay…"

Chuck got up and walked to his study. He was too distracted by dialing Serena's number to close the door behind him all the way.

Blair quietly followed Chuck and peaked through the slightly open door.

Chuck paced back and forth in his study. "Serena. What's going on?"

Blair frowned. Why did Chuck and Serena need to be sneaking around making phone calls so late?

"Is that everything? Maybe it was just speculation. Look, we're in this together. I will do whatever I have to do to keep you here. You can't do that. No."

Blair wished she could hear what Serena was saying on the other end. Was she being paranoid? Chuck would never…and Serena would never…plus she had Nate.

"No, Blair will probably be asleep soon anyway. She's had a lot of wine. Can you get rid of Nate?"

Blair's mouth fell open in shock. That son of a bitch. She walked back to her room and locked herself in.

…

"Are you free for lunch?"

Serena looked up to see Nate smiling at her. "Uh, actually I have a meeting but I'll be home for dinner."

Nate nodded. "Are you alright? You seem a little distracted since the gala last night."

Serena nodded. "Yup. Sorry, just kinda tired. Not used to being out past midnight on weekends. I'll see you later."

Nate smiled. "Later." He pulled out his phone and called Chuck. "Hey man. Haven't seen you in a couple of days. Are you free for lunch?"

Chuck seemed stressed on the other end. "Sorry, I have a meeting. Maybe tomorrow. Gotta go."

Nate pulled his phone away from his cheek and frowned. Great. He'd have lunch at his office again.

…

Nate looked up when he heard someone barge in his office. It was a puffy-eyed Blair. Lisa immediately followed. "Sorry, I tried to keep her out but she –"

"It's okay. You can leave us." He walked over to Blair. "Are you alright?"

Blair shook her head. "I think something terrible is happening to us."

Nate gave her a concerned look. "Okay…"

"It's Chuck…and Serena…they're…they're…"

"Blair you're not saying anything."

"They're….you know." She widened her eyes and looked at him.

Nate almost wanted to laugh. "What? Are you seriously implying that Chuck and Serena are having an affair? What the fuck, Blair?"

"I know it's crazy. But I overheard something last night…something about sneaking off to meet each other. Oh God."

"Blair, they would never do that. Have you mentioned this to Chuck?"

Blair shook her head.

Nate got up. "Come on. We're going to visit Chuck and clearing this up right now."

Nate looked at the time. It was lunchtime. He walked into Chuck's office with Blair in tow. His secretary immediately stood up. "You can't go in there. He's in a very important meeting with a very private client."

Nate sighed and looked at Blair. "We can wait."

Blair shook her head. "Like hell we can!" She walked over to open the door but it was locked. She knocked on it loudly. "Open the door you Basstard."

Nate pulled Blair back. "Blair, calm down. This is just a huge misunderstanding –" Nate stopped talking when Chuck opened the door slightly. He looked at them. "What are you guys doing here? You can't come in right now."

Blair reached around him and pushed the door open as hard as she could. Serena stood in the middle of the room and looked at them with a surprised expression.

…

Nate suddenly got a piercing headache.

Serena looked at them. "What's going on? It's just me."

Nate shook his head. "Jesus fucking Christ. Please tell me this isn't what it looks like."

Serena and Chuck both gave him a confused look.

"The late night calls and the secret meetings. Your door was locked! Don't give us that stupid look."

Realization crept into Serena's mind. "Oh god! No! What? How could you even think that?"

Chuck wanted to laugh. "Oh, please. Tell me you didn't actually think that we were what…cheating on you guys? That's ridiculous."

Nate shook his head. He felt so stupid. "No. I don't know what I'm thinking. So what are you guys doing?"

Blair crossed her eyes and had frown lines deep set between her eyes. Chuck and Serena both gave her pleading looks and she understood. "Oh my god. Are you going to propose?"

Chuck looked surprised but quickly recovered. "Yes. We were planning…Serena was helping me. I wanted it to be perfect. Right Serena?"

Serena shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. I can't keep this up anymore."

…

Serena watched the tv intently. Cyrus stepped out of the podium to give his knees. "We have gotten reports that Ms. Van der Woodsen is being stalked and harassed by the press. We are also being stalked and harassed by the press. This is extremely disrespectful to her privacy and that of Mr. Archibald's. It is true that they are taking some time apart while they work out their differences. This is a very painful situation for both parties and we ask that their privacy be respected. No questions. Thank you."

Cyrus walked out of the pressroom immediately and the camera turned back to the reporter.

Serena shut the TV off and sat on her floor. There was a knock on the door and she turned to see Lily. "I brought you some soup."

Serena had been living with her mom for the past few days. She couldn't stand being alone in her apartment for even one night. "Thanks."

"Nate worships you, Serena. He will forgive you for whatever you've done and it'll all work out. You'll see."

She sniffled and nodded.


End file.
